Osteospermum plant named ‘Kakegawa AU13’

ABSTRACT

An  Osteospermum  cultivar particularly distinguished by its orange flower color and tendency to hold flowers open later in the evening.

Genus and species: Osteospermum hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘Kakegawa AU13’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The variety ‘Kakegawa AU13’ originated from a cross made in March 2001 in Misato, Japan. The female parent was a tetraploid Osteospermum sp. developed using the variety ‘Seikilrem’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,407). The male parent was an unnamed Dimorphotheca sinuate with small, orange flowers, shiny petals, long internodes and prostrate habit. Seed from this cross was sown in June 2001 and plants were transplanted to the outdoor field. In October 2001, single-plant selections were made for vegetative propagation using plant habit and flower color as selection criteria. One selection, designated breeder code M2-139, became the new variety ‘Kakegawa AU13’. The variety ‘Kakegawa AU13’ was found to be stable and reproduce true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS

This new Osteospermum plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show blooms and foliage of the plant in full color. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up view of a single inflorescence.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the entire plant, including flower buds, open blooms and foliage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘Kakegawa AU13’. The data which defines these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Salinas, Calif. Data was collected on plants 20 weeks from transplanting rooted cuttings into 16 cm diameter pots, one plant per pot. Color references are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.).

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

-   Classification:     -   -   Family.—Compositae.         -   Botanical.—Osteospermum hybrida. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Breeding line ‘Seikilrem’ (U.S. Plant Pat.             No. 13,407).         -   Male parent.—Breeding line Dimorphotheca sinuate (unnamed). -   Growth:     -   -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Cuttings will colonize a             2.5 cm diameter by 2.5 cm tall greenhouse tray cell with             peat-based plant media in approximately four weeks. Cuttings             are dipped in a normal dilution (1:9) of Dip 'N Grow root             inducing solution in water. The trays are misted hourly             during rooting.         -   Environmental conditions for plant growth.—Rooted cuttings             are transplanted to pots with a 16 cm diameter, one plant             per pot. Peat moss-based growing media is used. The pots are             watered using a 150-200 ppm fertilizer solution containing             18% nitrogen, 8% phosphorus and 18% potassium. The soil is             allowed to dry between waterings. During the first few weeks             after transplanting the plants should have evening             temperatures around 15-18° C. for good root growth. When             plants reach 7.5-10 cm in height they are pinched back to             5-6 leaves to promote branching. Spring and summer daytime             high temperatures in Salinas, Calif., where the data was             collected, range from 16-25° C.         -   Time to bloom from propagation.—Approximately four weeks             when rooted vegetative cuttings are transferred to a 16 cm.             diameter pot. Flowering season is all year in the United             States. Vernalization is not required to induce flowering.         -   Habit.—Prostrate.         -   Life cycle.—Perennial. -   Plant:     -   -   Form.—Low growing, open branching.         -   Plant size.—Height is 20-30 cm; width 50-75 cm. -   Stems:     -   -   Internode length.—1.0-2.5 cm.         -   Stem color.—Yellow-green (RHS 144A).         -   Stem description.—Ancipital.         -   Stem diameter.—4.0-6.0 mm.         -   Pubescence.—Slight.         -   Pubescence shape.—Linear.         -   Pubescence color.—White (RHS N155A). -   Leaves:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Shape.—Oblanceolate.         -   Apex.—Mucronate.         -   Base.—Decurrent.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Surface.—Dull, smooth.         -   Surface pubescence.—Slight, white (RHS N155A).         -   Length.—5.0-7.5 cm.         -   Width.—2.0-3.0 cm.         -   Thickness.—1.0 mm.         -   Color.—Upper is green (RHS 137A); Lower is green (RHS 137B).         -   Venation color.—Upper is green (RHS 138B); Lower is green             (RHS 138B). -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Capitulum (head); disc florets are perfect and ray             florets are carpellate.         -   Diameter.—6.0-7.5 cm.         -   Depth.—2.5-3.5 cm.         -   Petal numbers.—18-22.         -   Disc diameter.—1.1-1.3 cm.         -   Disc floret number.—105-110.         -   Flowering habit.—Determinate.         -   Flowers life span.—3-4 days.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Seed production.—None.         -   Peduncle length.—2.5-5.0 cm.         -   Peduncle diameter.—2.0 mm.         -   Peduncle color.—Yellow-green (RHS 145A).         -   Peduncle texture.—Dull, slight pubescence.         -   Phyllaries.—18-22 per inflorescence, free, arranged             symmetrically; Length — 1.1-1.4 cm; Width — 1.5-2.0 mm; Apex             — Acute; Margin — Entire; Shape — Linear, acute; Color —             Upper, yellow-green (RHS 144A); Lower, yellow-green (RHS             144A).         -   Bud color.—143A (green) at tip; 144B (yellow-green) at base;             initial ray floret color is 25B (orange). Bud shape:             Longitudinal cross-section is deltoid. Bud surface texture:             Pubescent. Bud apex: Acute. Bud base: Truncate. Bud size:             Length is 1.2-1.4 cm; Diameter is 0.9-1.1 cm. -   Ray florets:     -   -   Corolla.—One petal per ray floret. Only the outer row of             florets are the ray florets.         -   Petals length.—3.6-3.9 cm.         -   Petal width.—0.7-0.8 cm.         -   Petal shape.—Spatulate.         -   Petal apex.—Acute.         -   Petal margin.—Entire.         -   Petal color.—Upper, orange (RHS 25B) with base violet (RHS             88B); Lower, orange, (RHS 25B) with base greyed-green (RHS             195A).         -   Petal pubescence.—Glabrous.         -   Ovary.—Superior.         -   Pistil form.—One style with two stigma branches.         -   Pistil length.—0.7-1.1 cm.         -   Stigma form.—One style with two stigma branches.         -   Stigma color.—Blue (RHS 99A).         -   Style color.—White (RHS 155C). -   Disc florets:     -   -   Color.—Purple (RHS 103A).         -   Shape.—Tubular.         -   Apex.—Rounded.         -   Surface.—Dull, pubescent.         -   Size.—Length 1.3-1.5 cm; width 1.0-1.3 mm.         -   Ovary.—Superior.         -   Pistil form.—One style with two stigma branches.         -   Style color.—White (RHS N155A).         -   Stigma color.—Blue (RHS 103A).         -   Stamens.—5, fused into a single tube.         -   Anther color.—Blue (RHS 99A).         -   Pollen color.—Orange (RHS 24A).

DISEASE AND INSECT RESISTANCE

Plants are susceptible to aphids, thrips, whiteflies and worms.

COMPARISON WITH KNOWN CULTIVARS

‘Kakegawa AU13’ is a distinct variety of Osteospermum owing to its prostrate-like habit; it grows low, stretches out, is not dense, does not contain multiple branching, and is open which makes it easy to see through portions of the plant. Its base color is more of a violet-blue, which is a darker color in contrast to the base on the comparison variety. The new cultivar is most similar to the variety ‘Seikimora’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,409); however, there are differences as shown in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1 Trait ‘Kakegawa AU13’ ‘Seikimora’ Petals Petal color, orange (RHS Orange (RHS 25B) petals 25B) with distinct shade of with violet-blue (RHS violet (RHS 88B) at the N92D) at the base base Peduncle length 2.5-5.0 cm 4.5-7.0 cm Pollen color Orange (RHS 24A) Orange (RHS 25C) 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant as shown and described herein. 